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Over the past week, I’ve been rocking my natural curls due to the fact that my husband adores then and despises my straightened hair. I thought I would encourage more women to give it a try, and rock their natural curls for a week to see if they like them or not. I think it’s beginning to grow on me!

Here is what it’s looked like on a few different occasions over the past week, like fresh out of the shower, in the morning when I wake up, at night, etc. Funny thing about my hair: I haven’t dyed it at all over the past two years – I’ve only dip dyed once with Kool Aid – and that faded long ago, so the multitude of calico colors you see in my hair are all natural. No highlights, nothing. I’ve got gold, red, and brown. Wicked!

Pic 1: Just woke up

Pic 2,3, and 4: At night before bed

Pic 5: After shower

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Check out the newest version of my All Things Beauty eNewspaper, jam packed full of beauty tips, trends, newsworthy celebrity women, and skin care tips galore! You will love this one, I promise. Check it out, and have a fabulous day, ladies!

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It’s something we hate to deal with, but it’s an inevitable evil in which we all deal with on an occasional – or regular – basis.

Have you ever woken up in the morning with wild, crazy hair that you can’t seem to shake? Are your curls all frizzed, messy and hard to handle? Do you find yourself spending too much time day in and day out, relentlessly combing out the mess left behind from a restless night’s sleep? I’ve been there before myself – more times than I care to admit! It’s not fun, and it certainly isn’t pretty. With naturally curly hair, it can be difficult to manage my hair on a daily basis when I wear it in it’s natural state. There are days when no amount of product can keep it looking great first thing in the morning due to a bad night’s sleep.

Here’s something to ponder upon: have you ever wondered if your crazy, wild bed head might be due to sleeping on a bad mattress? The answer to that question is maybe. In fact, a bad mattress can cause more than frizz, and wild, unruly hair. It can cause backaches, body aches, a feeling of fatigue throughout the day, and even put you into a generally unpleasant mood. Let’s face it – nobody likes a grouch, unless your name is Oscar.

Maybe it’s time for a new mattress. Maybe you’ve been saying it for years. The average mattress is supposed to last 8-10 years, roughly, for the average adult. Of course, this can all depend on your mattress’s model, quality, and care. Why not treat yourself to something nice and new for a change?

Enter Casper, a new start up company which launched in the Spring of 2014, which is an innovative company with a cool concept mattress – literally. Their latex and memory foam mattress will cool you while you sleep, keeping you from sweating and thus, keeping your hair from turning into a hot mess while you sleep. Aside from that, they are extremely comfortable, and actually really inexpensive for the amazing quality they possess. If you might be in the market for a new mattress, they are certainly worth checking into! I know I will definitely consider them when it comes time to purchase a new mattress.

So, how do I combat my bed head? Well, there’s a few ways in which I choose to deal with it depending on how much free time I have to play with. I would rather not leave the house looking like a lion, so you’ll never find me out and about when my hair has been worn to bed and it’s curly. If my hair was straightened and I went to bed, chances are, the bedhead won’t be so difficult to deal with – and in that case, it makes life easier.

This is my curly haired routine when I wake up to fight bed head:

1. Wash it. Generally, this works best for me because after that, I need to add products – namely a curl serum, frizz serum, mousse, and hairspray. Yes, it really takes me all of that to go on about my day (plus time for my makeup) unless I decide to opt for option 2.

2. Put it up. Depending on how much time I have to work with, I might just have to opt for putting it up. Curly, frizzy hair makes for amazing cotton candy buns, might I add! With a little teasing and hairspray, you’ll have a killer bun in no time.

3. If I’m staying home, I rock it. My husband loves my hair when it’s wild, so if I’ve got no plans and nowhere to go, I occasionally wear it that way just to make him happy. What can I say?

4. Take the Easy Route. Spritz some water onto the hair, scrunch it with some curling lotion and mousse, and spray on some heavy duty hairspray – I like Pantene Pro V’s Mega Hold for Curls spray. It’s kinda a ‘set it and forget it’ deal. Done!

If I wear my hair to bed straightened, I always wear it down. There’s nothing worse than waking up in the morning to bumpy hair from a hair tie. Normally, my hair looks fabulous when I wake up and its straight (not trying to toot my own horn, but seriously)- which it usually is – and only requires a quick once over with my straightener. If it needs a little TLC, this is what you’d find me doing:

1. Quick Straighten. If I need to go over it real quick, I use my HerStyler Flat Iron (Colorful Seasons collection in red – LOVE it – I highly reccomend it! You can purchase your own by clicking the link on my page under ‘Reccomended Products’ in the right column) and it takes me about 5 minutes flat. Done!

2. Tousle and Spray. If it’s straight but needs the extra ‘oomph’, I do a quick tousle with my fingers, and spray it with some hairspray. Easy and quick!

3. Volumize. Now, its not often – but there are occasions where I wake up to uber flat hair and I just can’t even deal with it. In that case, I will use some dry shampoo or a volumizer to pump up the volume. A quick spray on the underside and a flip of the hair, and I’m good to go.

Ultimately, bed head isn’t an issue for this chick anymore. I have learned how to deal – and even how to embrace – my bed head.

How many of you suffer with bed head? What do you do to deal with it or combat it? I’d love to hear your ideas and thoughts.

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If you’re anything like me, when you get up in the morning, you’ve probably got one thing on your mind: coffee. And kids. And school. And waking the husband. And taking the garbage out because your son decided he didn’t feel like doing his chores last night. And your daughter’s spelling bee practice after school. And finding your son’s school uniform. And that appointment you made a week ago that you forgot to write on the calendar. And taking the dog outside to pee. And all of the 5,847,756,736 things you have to do today. Okay, so you’ve probably got a ton of things on your mind if you’re anything like I am – which, if you are, I feel for you, truly – and don’t ever have time to focus on self.

I don’t know about you, but I get up and make a blind beeline directly for my amazing, spectacular coffee pot (thanks to my lovely husband) and brew up some strong, hot goodness in a cup. I need it to make it through the day.

No, seriously.

With four kids (middle and high school aged) and a husband to get ready for school and work, and a very demanding dog to let out to do her business, I need to think quick and move fast. It’s not until about two hours after I get up that I’m allowed the free time to go pee, let alone spend time in front of a mirror. Lets face it -us moms make some serious sacrifices in terms of our looks when we are doing our duties as mothers and are left with almost negative free time to focus on ourselves.

The truth is: we deserve at least ten minutes to work on our faces and hair before going about our day. It’s something many of us fail to do, but it can make a huge impact on the remainder of our day and how we generally feel throughout the day. Our husbands would more than likely appreciate it quite a bit, too. Can you imagine the look on his face when he sees you look that good, that early in the morning? It’s almost hilarious to think about!

If you are curious to learn the fastest, easiest way to look better than presentable, read on.

Cleanse & Moisturize

This literally takes a minute to do, but it’s one of the most essential parts of our day. Taking care of our facial skin is one of the best things we can do to preserve our skin’s structure, and ward off aging and those God-awful fine lines and wrinkles. Believe it or not, while we sleep, we accumulate a great deal of oil, debris, dirt/dust, and even dead skin cells on our faces. When you think of it that way, it’s a pretty good bet you will want to take that minute to rid your skin of all that mess, and hydrate your parched skin with some good facial moisturizer. When choosing these types of products, you will want to opt for good quality products.

I am blessed enough to use Forever Flawless’s White Diamond Collection, which actually has real diamond powder infused within the ingredients. I use both the cleanser and the moisturizer, as well as the facial peel once per week. These products are uber pricey, but so unbelievably worth the cost. High end skin care products are important because they contain better ingredients than those you would buy at the drugstore, improving the overall quality of your skin, and going the extra mile to provide anti-aging properties. By doing this every morning, you will see a marked improvement in your skin almost immediately, and feel refreshed, which can give you the get-up-and-go you need to get through the day.

Apply Products

After cleansing and moisturizing, you can opt for a quick once over with your favorite products. My morning regimen usually consists of the same products – unless I have an appointment, meeting, or something special going on. I typically use the following:

I apply a quick coat of each of the above, and go on about the rest of my business. It takes me about 3 minutes to do my makeup in its entirety, sometimes less. I don’t like to use a ton of products anyway, so for me, this is a simple, natural yet beautiful look. When it comes to your makeup, learn what products work for you, which ones you love, and practice with them. Once you have learned how to apply them the way you like, it will come naturally – and you will find yourself applying them at lightning speed, with perfect precision. Give yourself one coat of your fave products and keep it light. This season, less makeup is more. Use that to your advantage!

Create a Simple Hairstyle

If you like to straighten your hair, you could do this at night after the kids have gone to bed, or as everyone is relaxing. It will still look fab – if not even better – by morning. If you want something different, opt for something simple like a ponytail – but add something to perk it up, like bobby pins with jewels on the sides, or wrap hair around the ponytail holder and secure with bobby pins underneath to give it a cool effect. Perhaps you are having a bad hair day. No worries – that’s what buns are for! Pull it half up and secure with a barrette or bobby pins for a simple look when you can’t decide if you want to wear it up or down. When all else fails, wear it down and tousle it with your fingers. Simple, easy, done.

Get Dressed

Yep, that’s right. I’m coaxing you out of the sweats or PJ’s, and telling you that you need to actually put on a pair of jeans, or a cute skirt or dress, and look like you’re trying. As comfy as those sweatpants are, you aren’t meant to live in them. Find your inner teen and go through your closet, and try some of your favorites on. If you get dressed, you will get motivated. You will want to do this every day when your husband compliments you and you get sweet compliments from your children. Watch and see. Don’t take my word for it – try it for yourself! You’ll be amazed how good it feels to wear actual clothes again!

Put a Smile on Your Face

Seriously. When you smile, statistics show you become more attractive. Think about it. If you were to see yourself in two separate pictures – one of you smiling, and one where you weren’t – which one do you think would be more attractive? Bingo! The smiling photo. Not only does it help you to appear more attractive, but smiling, even if you’re in a grouchy mood will force you into a good mood. Find a reason to smile. I’m not saying sit there with a constant smile on your face, either – because that would be exceptionally weird, aside from creepy. Count your blessings, if you need to – but find at least one reason to smile. You’ll be amazed how much you might enjoy it!

By following my little guideline, I’m almost positive that you will feel amazing and look even more amazing than you feel! All of this can be done in under 10 minutes’ time. If you feel as though you don’t have the time, make the time for yourself. You deserve it!

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New Year’s Eve is fast approaching, ladies, and we all need to get some ideas rolling on what we want to wear, and essentially, how we want to complete our look for the big night.

Some of you may be asking yourselves, “How should I do my makeup for New Year’s Eve?”, or, “What should I wear?” If you’re a bit clueless, here are a few quick pointers and tips to help you make it through the Holiday looking your best.

Opt for Black

Whether you’re choosing to wear a dress or pants, black is always a fashionable color that you cannot get wrong, no matter how hard you try. Black is slimming, flattering, and shows off your accessories and cosmetics well. It’s fitting for the occasion, and no matter what year comes knocking come December 31st, whether now or in the future, black is always in. My opinion: a semi-short black dress works fabulously. If you want to jazz things up a bit, choose a dress with sequins or some sort of shimmer to give it an extra festive look.

Silver is a Safe Bet

Silver jewelry, silver eyeshadow, and silver shoes are always a safe bet for New Year’s Eve. Plus – what could possibly pair better with black? If you’re opting for some black pants, choose a silvery top that either has sequins or shimmer to it. Add some silver eye shadow and even a silver hued lipstick if you are feeling daring and you will undoubtedly look your best.

Heels, Not Flats

This is a celebration, ladies. Heels are a must. Flats are a flop. Don’t wear flats, or you will look as though you just don’t quite care about your overall appearance. Opt for something at least 2-4″ in height, but make sure you can actually walk in whatever it is you choose to wear. There’s nothing more embarrassing (and honestly, hilarious and entertaining to the rest of us) than a woman who cannot walk well in heels. Practice, if you need to – but for God’s sake – please don’t wear flats!

Smokey Eye and Falsies

I constantly tout the effectiveness of the smokey eye for whatever occasion may arise, but its because I truly believe it works well for any look. You can do a smokey eye for New Years Eve and amp it up a bit with some silver highlights in the shadow, and false lashes. There are even false lashes adorned with diamonds, if you feel like splurging! They are available in store from Barney’s, so if you’re in the New York area, and feel like splurging, have at it! Otherwise, there are off brands which offer jewel adorned falsies which look very pretty and sexy as well.

Red Lipstick

A deep red lip color will always be a safe bet for a New Years Eve party. The darker, the better. If you want to add a bit of depth to the lips, dot the center of your lips with a high gloss lipgloss, and watch the magic in your lips as they appear fuller, and plumper – all without painful injections, creams, or even bee sting lip plumper. Nobody needs that mess!

Wavy Hair

Waves add a bit of style while enabling you to wear your hair down. Depending on where you live, humidity or snow could be a factor. Be sure to use products pertaining to the type of weather you are faced with on a daily basis to ensure you are able to keep your style all night without it falling flat. Hairspray is a must! Carry a mini sized spray with you in your purse to touch up your style throughout the night.

Hopefully, your New Year’s Eve party or night on the town won’t be too crazy – but in case it is, at least you’ll look fantastic if you follow my simple tips addressed here!

I wish you all the best New Year possible, with plenty of prosperity, health and love to go around. Here’s to 2015!